Statements from Old Massett Hearings

“ I would contend that having an open mind would be to consider the potential implications of our activities on the environment that sustains us and the legacy that we leave for future generations rather than how to maximize the amount of money we can make now.” “So the reason that people come back again and again is that the islands are unique and provide an opportunity to enjoy something that’s becoming rare in the world, untamed nature.” Leandre Vigneault Volume 23, Paragraph 14363, 14386“I know what is at stake with this project, and I have a stake in it. I’m not a radical; I’m just a Canadian girl who likes fishing.”Sophie Harrison Volume 55, Paragraph 5553

Statements from Skidegate Hearings

“And you know when our Elders say, ‘When the tide is out, our table is set,’ that is absolutely true. And when you look at who we are, when you look at our culture, it’s those cycles and our relationship to them and our wellbeing, that’s our life source. That’s who we are.”“ . . . When you see all this beautiful art and people claim that . . . that’s our culture, you know, that’s not all our culture is. Those, to me -- those beautiful expressions are like the flowers of our culture. They’re expressions of our culture in rigid formulas and ways of, ways of seeing that reflect our way of being as people.”“Our culture is about our relationship to this place, our home, and that’s what we are mandated. That’s our responsibility as a living generation of an ancient nation, to protect that, and protect that we will. And . . . we’d love to do that in a constructive way. That’s what I’ve spent my life trying to create.Miles Richardson in Skidegate Volume 30, Paragraph 20260-2“As with our Haida friends and neighbours, the ocean and the coastlines defined who we are as a community.”Carol Kulesha Volume 31, Paragraph 21338“But I am confident being here because I have the support of all of the council, all of whom are here today in this hall, and all of whom are united with the communities of Haida Gwaii against this tanker project and against the pipeline project.” Bill Beamish of the Village of Queen CharlotteVolume 31, Paragraph 21566 “Over 98 percent of the average meal includes the traditional foods, primarily seafood with halibut, deepsea fishing fish and beach foods such as clams as the most common of these foods because of the salmon shortage.”“Based on my 20-plus years of experience in working with families on income assistance in Skidegate, take the traditional foods and medicines away, then you’ll see third-world living conditions, starvation, death and cultural genocide.”Ruth Galdstone-Davies Volume 31, Paragraph 21657-8“As a Haida woman, a proud learner to teachings of my aunts, I am prepared to put my life on the line to protect the rights of my children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, my clan, and my community on the line. The decision you make will impact whether or not I will be here to teach them. Haawa.”Ruth Gladstone-DaviesVolume 31, Paragraph 21692“We don’t always agree on issues on these islands; in fact, we mostly disagree, especially when it comes to land use issues. It’s not the case . . . in this situation.” Evan Putterill Moresby Island Management CommitteeVolume 31, Paragraph 21860

Driftpile First Nations

“I’m not here to say I don’t want the pipeline. Sure it’s good on the -- for progress for Alberta. But we should be looking at protecting our land from further damage18.”George Giroux Volume 18, Paragraph 10220“It is difficult for a land-based culture topersist in the absence of an ecologically intact landscape.”Dr. Ave Dersch Volume 18, Paragraph 10365

Statement from Leandre Vigneault

“Two years ago in October I spent one whole week in an inlet on the west coast of Moresby Island, hiding from weather which never dropped below gale force, often exceeded storm force and at one point exceeded 100 knots, which in metric is 190 kilometres an hour for six hours.”
Leandre Vigneault Volume 23, Paragraph 14389

Statements about the Sandspit area

“Sandspit . . . is similar to all other coastal communities in Northern B.C., in that it’s absolutely dependent upon a healthy marine environment.”“We simply ran out of old growth timber on north Moresby Island. Although it was good when it lasted, the cut and run mentality was out of touch with the reality that our local economy was a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment.” Evan Putterill Volume 31, Paragraph 21880, 21886

Statements from Prince Rupert hearings

Nature is like a beautiful dream. In a dream there’s happiness and we know that nature makes people happy and always bring happiness to our family and friends. Is it a dream to see salmon spawning, bears eating, animals surviving, tasting fresh, clean drinking water, catching trout in lakes, catching salmon in river, hunting food to support our family? No, this is real.”Mae Jong-Bowles Volume 52, Paragraph 3584For 18 years, the area of Enbridge’s proposed pipeline was all I knew of the world. I have travelled since then and can attest to how delicate, untouched, and pure this corner of the world is. How could anyone with a conscience put others’ homes at risk?” Ocean Rutherford Volume 52, Paragraph 3633“Most of my children and my family members have careers which depend on our coastal waters and have married into First Nations families. This is our home.”Peggy Davenport Volume 52, Paragraph 3393

Statements from Terrace hearings

“Tourism is an important source of income for our region. Skeena wild salmon contribute over $100,000,000 to our economy each year. Salmon industry and tourism are sustainable. An oil pipeline and supertankers would put this source of income greatly at risk.”Inke Giannelia Volume 49, Paragraph 2014“. . . What we’ve discovered is that this area is absolutely stunning; incredible in terms of water environment. People come from around the world to paddle and to play here, and we take some of those people and other people down the river.”Jupiter MacDonald Volume 49, Paragraph 2114“I know this land and these waters. I value, respect and love this place that I call home and everything it does offer.” Greer Kaiser Volume 49, Paragraph 2094

Statements from Kitamaat Village hearings

“We always have been a peaceful nation but when it isn’t through discussion and negotiation, when all fails, we went to war to protect our family, our rights, our ownership of food, shelter and safety.”Chief Sam Robinson Volume 8, Paragraph 3883“All day we heard my friends here make mention of the resources that we use to survive, and I’m no exception. I won’t go into details but I want it on record that Henry Amos Senior still does depend on the resources that is provided to me by Mother Nature, our land, our water.”Chief Henry Amos Volume 8, Paragraph 4165

Statements from Saulteau First Nations

“The land also supports the wildlife; the ones that walk on the ground, the ones that crawl, the ones that fly, the ones that also swim in the waters. Without that, we are not a Saulteau people; we are not Indian; we are not who we are put on this land to be.”Chief Harley Davis Volume 34, Paragraph 24709

Statements from Dene First Nation

“We cannot be environmental refugees in our own territories. Our traditional territories is our very existence of who we are here today and will continue to do so. And we will have to protect it.”Chief Allan Adam Volume 17, Paragraph 9515

Statements from Grande Prairie

“There is only one environment, our air, common air, water and land. We either live in reasonable harmony with our collective environment or we will suffer the consequences of ignoring that with dramatic consequencesMr. Norman Dyck Volume 34, Paragraph 24709

Statements from Samson Cree First Nation

There’s certain areas now that we used to go hunting, where our hunting grounds used to be, you can’t access some areas no more. Like oil companies brought their rigs there and a lot of them are fenced off now. There’s a lot of boundary fences here and there6.” Dewayne Buffalo Volume 14, Paragraph 7785

"As responsible hunters and anglers, we are well aware of the importance of conserving wildlife habitat when development is being considered. As residents of Alberta, where oil and gas development is the primary economic driver, we would define ourselves as practical environmentalists rather than those elusive radical environmentalists who seem so much more newsworthy."Andrew Boyd Volume 15, Paragraph 8892“We’re worried that Enbridge has convinced the media, the public and the government that those concerned with this mega pipeline are radicals and
foreigners."Chief Marvin Yellowbird Volume 17, Paragraph 9847

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Map Legend

These markers can be placed by anyone who has created a user account on this site.

Identifies the location of each Joint Review Panel (JRP) Intervenor and Oral Statement hearing. Click on the icon to display references to the official transcript of each day's proceedings.

Photographs from along the route.

These markers contain quotes from the JRP hearings that are referenced back to the transcript documents. The location of the marker is based on either the context of the quote, or the place where the quote was made.

Project Overview

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